Pro-Bono

Pro-Bono

What is Pro-Bono?

Pro-bono literally means work done for the public good without compensation. Generally it refers to the legal work or advice given to members of the public free of charge, where they cannot afford advice and are unable to attain legal aid. There are also lots of potential areas for students with an interest in law to get involved.

Why is Pro-Bono Important?

As well as being important to help members of the community, pro bono work is also extremely advantageous in helping society members develop their CV and gain more experience. Anything that can set you apart from other people will immediately make you noticeable to potential employers. Upcoming projects would demonstrate to employers that you can work within a group, but also have the skills and confidence to present, as an individual, to a potentially large audience. Getting involved in our projects would also show how you are willing to spare the time to help others.

Our Pro-Bono Projects

Law Schools Enrichment Programme

This project involves visiting local colleges in Lancaster and talking to prospective law students about what they can expect from university life, and a law degree. Firstly, mini-seminars will be delivered to give students a glimpse of a specific area of law. Following this, students will be prepared for a small moot and negotiation competition. This programme has proved to be a success in the past years, with a number of members participating, and we hope to expand and enhance it this year!

Law School Challenge

This year we are entering the law school challenge. The challenge is a fund raising competition between law schools to raise money for the bar pro bono unit who provide free legal advice and advocacy for those who would otherwise not be able to afford the help. There is no limit on how many team members we can have so the more people involved the more money we are likely to raise! How you raise the money is up to you and you could do anything from a cake sale to a sponsored sky dive. This is a great opportunity to get involved and demonstrate to potential employers that you are willing to get involved with charity work, display your organisation skills and also work well within a team. There is a prize offered for the winning team which is an award that is endorsed by the attorney general, something that would look great on any CV!

Law Talks

This year we’ve initiated a couple of brand new projects. ‘Law Talks’ consist of groups of students going into schools and talking on any area of law, from mini-lectures on criminal law to lectures on students’ rights. This is a great opportunity to show on your CV that you acquired great teaching, presentation and communication skills!!!

If you have any ideas for additional projects then please do get in touch, we’re more than happy to try and help you facilitate any worthwhile projects in the local community!

If you would like further information then please contact us through one of our channels.